Above class open to undergraduates only
In the summer of 1865, the United States were far from united.
Decades of discord between the northern and southern regions of the
country had culminated in a 4-year civil war. Over 600,000 died in
the war, wide swaths of the south lay in ruins, northern troops
would occupy the south for a decade, and 4 million former slaves
moved awkwardly into freedom. A young nation that had wrested
independence from England some 90 years before was now in disarray.
How did a land with so much promise come apart so violently?
American History I is an introduction to the history of America from
its exploration and settlement by Europeans through the end of the
American Civil War. This course emphasizes connections between
America and lands across the Atlantic, especially immigration from
Europe and the enslavement of Africans for a supply of labor. The
course also emphasizes the impact of immigrants on peoples native to
America and the migration of people within North America.
The course will use Alan Brinkley’s concise textbook "The Unfinished
Nation," and two short, compelling books about the lives of early
Americans, "The Account of Mary Rowlandson and Other Indian
Captivity Narratives" and Melton McLaurin’s "Celia, A Slave."
Further requirements will include 2 short papers, 3 exams, reading
quizzes, and active in-class participation.